On My Own
by scrpbkqueen
Summary: Sam and Dean go to Florida to help an old friend with a ghost problem. Along the way, Dean gets in touch with his softer side and discovers something about himself that never expected.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first fanfic. Please read and review. I can't wait to hear what y'all have to say.

I don't own Supernatural and all that means along with Les Mis. Thanks.

Chris stood in the wings as she watched the dress rehearsal take place. She loved the way a play came together. She loved the thrill she got when she took the stage each night. Even at dress rehearsal, her heart began thudding in her chest as the scene played out before her. She was watching the café scene where to students begin planning the start of the French Revolution. She was due to take the stage again in a few minutes. She checked her wardrobe again. Made sure that her hat and clothes were in the right place and the dirt on her face was just right. She looked up from the mirror and that was when she saw him. Or she thought she saw him. He was paler than the other people moving around the wings, but he was there. She got a chill and turned around to speak to him because she didn't remember him from the cast. But as Chris turned around, the man disappeared. It was time for her to go on. She shook herself and got into place. She was imagining things. It had been years since she'd seen one. It was a very vivid memory. That was what she had seen.

"You okay?" James, the man playing her love interest in the play asked as they snuck onto the stage. Chris nodded. "You look like you've seen a ghost." She gave a nervous smile. The scene started and Chris forgot about the man as she fell into the part of Eponine. She still could not believe that she'd landed her dream roll in the national tour of Les Misérables.

The scenes were flowing nicely. It was scene where Chris was to stop her father in the play from breaking into Cosette's house. At the end of the song her father grabs her and threatens to beat her. That's when it happened. The man was back. Chris just looked at him for a moment, but stayed in character.

"I'm going to scream. I'm going to warn them here," she sang in perfect pitch.

"If you scream, you'll regret it for a year!" The actor grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard to him. What happened next made her truly scream, and too early for the song. The director yelled cut as the actor in front of her was hoisted five feet in the air and thrown into the third row of seats. His head hit the chairs with a sickening thud and his limp, lifeless body sunk to the floor.

Chris covered her mouth and began to shake her head. Her vision was blurring with tears and then everything began to get dark. The last thing she remembered was feeling two arms wrap around her and slowly lower her to the ground as people around the theater scrambled in every direction.

Dean's cell phone rang and woke up him from a very nice dream. He blindly slapped for it on the nightstand between his and Sam's motel beds. He finally found it on the fifth ring. "Yeah?" His voice was gruff and groggy.

"Dean? Dean Winchester?" A woman's voice came through the phone. It sounded scared and panicky.

"Yeah. Do I know you?" Dean sat up a little bit and looked over at Sam. Sam was now sitting up with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah. This is Chris Anderson. Do you remember me?" Her voice cracked a little.

"Yeah. Of course. Lake Haven High. Junior Year." Dean noticed Sam cock his head at that. "What's going on?"

"I need you to come. I have something strange going on. You're kind of strange." Chris told Dean what had happened.

"Where are you?"

"Tampa, Florida."

"We're on our way. Be there tomorrow." Chris told them where the condo she was renting was while the play was in Tampa. Dean jotted down the address and hung up. "Rise and shine, Sammy. We have a job."

Sam stretched. "I gathered." He stood and began to pack. "Must be nearby if we'll be there tomorrow."

"Nope. Florida. We're driving straight through." Sam's broad shoulders slumped and shook his head. They were packed and pulling out of the motel's parking lot in a half hour. Dean turned the Impala south and toward the Indiana state line.

After an hour of driving, Dean looked at Sam, who was dozing in the passenger seat. "I take I-75 south all the way to Tampa, right?" Sam stirred and thought about what was said.

"Uh, yeah." Sam stretched and looked at his brother for a minute. "So what are we dealing with?"

"Sounds like a vengeful spirit." Dean pressed the gas a little harder. "Apparently a ghost showed up during a dress rehearsal of the play that Chris is in and threw one of the actors into the seats and he died when he hit the chairs and broke his neck."

"Chris?" Sam was looked at Dean with a puzzled look. "Where do you know him from?"

"Her. Chris Anderson from Lake Haven, Florida." Dean said and shot a glance at his brother. "You know her."

Sam shook his head. "I do?"

"Yeah. You remember those two months we spent in Lake Haven, Florida while dad hunted a poltergeist. I was a junior. You were in eighth grade. She had a younger brother that was in upper elementary school. Can't remember his name though."

Sam cocked an eyebrow at his brother's memory. "You dated her."

"Nope. Not even once. We were just friends." Dean swallowed and shot a glance at Sam.

"So, what's the story then. How does she know about what we do? Is this another Cassie?"

"No!" Dean answered a little too quickly.

"Dean?" Sam shifted in his seat a little so he could see his brother better.

"Sam?" Dean shot the same tone back at him. Sam raised his eyebrows and waited for an explanation. "Okay, fine. I liked her. She was pretty. She was seeing somebody. A college guy. So, dating was out, but I really liked her. She was the only person at that school that looked at me like I was not some freak for how we lived. She was nice, and we had fun together." Dean shrugged. "Her mom even had us over for dinner a few times. Nice family."

Sam nodded. "I do remember her. Her brother was a funny kid for his age. He liked us. Her mom was single after her dad has passed away." Dean nodded at that fact. "I never realized that you two were that close."

"Yeah." Dean let out a chuckle. "We stayed in touch for another year after we left. We lost contact once she went to college." Dean shrugged as he kept his eyes on the road. Sam watched his brother and wondered what else Dean wasn't telling him. He knew he'd find out in time.

After fifteen hours on the road, the Winchesters were close to Tampa. Dean was dozing in the passenger seat while Sam drove. He smacked Dean in the chest. "Wake up, man. We're almost there. Give Chris a call." Dean rubbed his eyes and picked up his phone.

Dean hung up the phone and sighed. "Okay, Chris is at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The detectives had some questions about the accident." Sam nodded and pushed the car a little harder.

Dean and Sam walked into the theater and watched the rehearsal scene play out in front of them. They slid into seats about halfway down the floor section.

The stage was set as if a war scene was taking place. Men were in the background as a couple laid in each other's arms stage front. The man was dressed in period clothes that showed his character was higher class while the girl was dressed in period street clothes that indicated that she was from a lower working class.

"Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius. I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now. You're here. That's all I need to know. And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. And rain will make the flowers grow."

Sam leaned over to Dean. "Is that Chris?" Dean nodded his mouth a little agape. "She's Eponine in Les Misérables. Wow! I'm impressed."

Dean looked at his brother with a look that said that if he wasn't so surprised at the scene playing out in front of him he'd make some comment about him being gay. "Me too." They turned their attention back to the stage.

"This rain will wash away what's past." Chris sang as she grimaced in mock pain. "And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. I'll sleep in your embrace at last! The rain that brings you here is Heaven blessed. The skies begin to clear, and I'm at rest. A breath away from where you are. I've come home from so far." Her singing became more labored. And the actor holding her pulled her a little closer, held her a little tighter. Dean swallowed as he watched the scene play out in front of him. She was good. What was shocking him was that he could feel his throat getting tight.

"Hush-a-by, dear Eponine."

"Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius. I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now."

"I'm here."

"That's all I need to know."

"I will stay until you are sleeping."

"And rain will make the flowers…"

"And rain will make the flowers grow." As the singing voices faded to just that of the actor holding Chris, Dean let out a gasp as he drew in a breath. He never realized that he was holding his breath. Sam looked at his brother and raised an eyebrow.

The director approached the stage. "Good job, guys. Let's take five." The house lights came up and Chris looked out into the audience. She smiled as she saw Dean and Sam stand. She nodded to the director and headed down the stairs into the seats.

"Dean!" She ran to him and gave him a huge hug. Dean was a little shocked by this, but hugged her back. "I'm so glad you are here. I've been so scared!" Dean instinctively pulled her a little closer.

"Everything is going to be fine. We'll figure this out," he whispered in her ear. The pulled apart and Dean motioned to Sam. "You remember my brother Sam?"

"Of course. Hi, Sam." She hugged him, but not as tightly as she had Dean. "You have grown." She smiled at him and then shot a look a Dean. "You now make your brother look puny." Sam laughed as Dean rolled his eyes. "I have to finish rehearsal, and then we can talk about what's been going on. He seems to only appear when I'm around. I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Chris held her arms tight against her abdomen. "Do you mind hanging out a little longer? I think I have one more song to practice, and then we can get something to eat."

Dean nodded as he thought about what she said. "I can always eat, and I'd love to hear you sing some more." Where did that come from? He hated plays! Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother and then nodded to Chris. She smiled and headed back up to the stage.

The director looked at the two unexpected guests. "Who are they?" He looked at the smile on Chris' face as she took her place on the stage.

"Friends from high school," Chris said as she watched the set behind her change. "We're doing 'On My Own' next?" The director nodded.

"Even though the opening of the play has been postponed while Greg's death is investigated, we still need to practice, and I want you to be able to sing this piece so well that even the toughest guy in the house wants to cry and take Eponine home and love her. I just wasn't feeling it the last time we ran through it." Chris nodded, but couldn't help thinking, '_Of course you didn't feel it. I was in shock_.' The director left the stage and the music began.

The lights dimmed. Chris started walking in place on the rotating stage. "Now I'm alone again; nowhere to turn; no one to go to; without a home; without a friend; without a face to say hello to. And now the night is near, and I can make believe that he his here." The lights flickered. "Sometimes I walk alone at night when everyone else is sleeping. I think of him and I'm happy with the company I'm keeping. The city goes to bed and I can live inside my head." The lights and music flickered again, but this time a little stronger. Sam and Dean looked at each other and shifted in their seats. Chris didn't stop the song, but paused to look at them. "On my own, pretending he is beside me. All alone, I walk with him till morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me. When I lose my way, I close my eyes and he has found me." The lights flickered again and Sam and Dean were on their feet. The man appeared and wrapped his arms around Chris's shoulders. She stopped and turned to see him looking down at her. She screamed and he disappeared. Dean reached the stage just a she went limp and fainted. He caught her just before she hit the stage. He looked at Sam and the worry was evident on his face. Sam was panting as he looked around the theater.

"What the hell was that?" The director demanded as he stormed the stage.

"A ghost," Dean said matter-of-factly as he looked at Chris's unconscious form.


	2. Chapter 2

Chris was sitting at her kitchen table with a hot cup of decaf coffee clutched tightly between her shaking hands. She looked down at the steaming caramel colored liquid and then up at her friends. "I can't believe that I fainted." She hid a smile that played on her lips as she drew the cup up for a sip.

Sam smiled softly at her while Dean patted his hand on her arm. "We thought you did really well considering you were just hugged by a ghost," Sam said softly.

Dean rubbed her arm as he broke the next bit of information to her. "You were right. It does seem that this ghost has attached himself to you. Now we just need to find out who he is and why he is has taking a liking to you," he squeezed her arm, "besides the obvious." Chris smiled sweetly at Dean and placed her warm hand over his.

Dean looked into her dark brown eyes and saw that she was truly scared. Despite this fear, he was amazed at how she looked the same as she did in high school, other than the little extra weight she carried then was gone. She now had a thin body that was tone with muscle and made her slight curves standout even more than they normally would. Her face was a heart shape with high cheek bones and medium lips. Her eyes were large with long lashes that were as dark as her hair. Her nose was thin and sloped at just the right angle that made the Native American features to her face come together in a way that made her exotic. Her brown hair was just to the top of her shoulders with a slight wave to it. He knew that when she was in the sun that her red highlights would shine to give her hair an auburn hue. She was stunning, but not what he typically found attractive. That had to come from how nice she had been to him while they had been at Lake Haven High School. When he had told her what his family did, she was fascinated, after thinking he was kidding and crazy.

"The play has put rehearsals off for a couple of days while the police look for this guy," Sam said while Dean rolled his eyes.

"Cops are dumb. There are only a few that know what's really going on. Unfortunately, Tampa doesn't have one." Dean said with a cold tone to his voice.

"While Tampa PD looks for this guy, we will be doing the same." Sam took a sip of his coffee and watched Chris and Dean. "I know this is hard, Chris, but we need you to tell us what happened when he appeared the first time."

Chris took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She knew ghosts were real. She'd seen one once, years ago, but that was it. She'd never been near one or had one attack her. "Um, the first time I saw him was backstage. I was checking my makeup in the wings. I looked up, and he was several feet from me. The other cast members acted as if he wasn't there. I looked back at the mirror and turned back around and he was gone." Chris looked into her coffee. "I didn't think much of it. Tampa has lots of ghosts. I just never heard of the PAC being haunted, but that doesn't mean anything." The she told them about when he appeared on stage during the dress rehearsal. "And once Greg hit the floor, he was dead." A single tear fell down her cheek. "He had two kids at home." A sob caught in her throat and Dean wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He gave Sam a look that said they needed to find this guy and put an end to this now. It was bad enough that his friend was scared and a man had been killed, but now two kids had lost their father.

"We're going to salt and burn this son-of-a-bitch!" Dean said with heat to his voice just before he kissed Chris on the top of her head.

Chris lifted her head to look at Dean. "Thank you. I know it's been years since we've seen each other, let alone talked, and you came when I called. Thank you." Sam suddenly found his coffee cup really interesting while Dean and Chris shared this moment.

"You're welcome. I told you when we left that if you ever needed anything, even if it didn't have to with this kind of thing, I'd be here as soon as I could." Dean smiled at her and then looked at his brother. "Why don't you go rest while Sammy and I start searching for who this guy is and why he seems to be interested in you?" Chris nodded as she got up from the table and headed upstairs to her room. She looked back at Dean a little nervous. "We'll be right here if you need anything." She nodded again and left the room. Dean turned to look across the table at Sam who was shaking his head. "What?"

"And you swear you never dated?" Sam asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Nope. Never." Dean glared at his brother as he laughed and went to get his laptop.

"_Who is he?" Sean yelled as he kicked her in the stomach again._

"_I don't know what you are talking about!" Chris cried in pain as she tried to roll away from her husband. He'd come home from work drunk and yelling about her having an affair. She denied it. She had never cheated. He didn't believe her and started beating her mercilessly. Both her eyes were swelling shut and her lip was split. She knew her right arm was broken and now he was kicking her stomach. Not her stomach. She was going to tell him tonight that she was two months pregnant. God, please, not her stomach._

"_I saw you! You were walking out of the school with him and he hugged you!" Sean yelled as he kicked her again. Chris screamed in pain._

"_I didn't have school today, Sean!" Chris cried between sobs and yelps of pain. "I was home getting ready for tonight." She felt her stomach cramp. "Please stop!" He had hit her before, but not like this and only once. Sean swore and stomped out of the room. Chris grabbed her stomach and cried, and tried to crawl to the phone. She reached the phone after a few painful minutes and called the police._

_The next thing Chris knew she was waking up in the hospital with her mom by her side. "Mrs. Johns, you have a broken arm and a lacerated liver."_

_Chris slowly shook her head trying to clear the fog that she was in. "What about the baby? Is the baby okay?"_

_The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Johns. We tried, but the force of the repeated kicks did too much damage. The baby was gone by the time you were stable." Chris felt the tears prick her eyes and she screamed the anguish of a woman who had lost a child, even if it had not been born yet, because it was already a part of her and always would be._

Dean looked up at the ceiling as he heard the cry carry down the stairs. "Did you hear that?" Sam nodded as he looked up from his laptop. "Keep digging, Sammy. I'm going to check on Chris." Sam nodded again as Dean was halfway up the stairs already. The master suite was at the end of the hall, and the door was wide open. He could hear Chris crying and ran to her.

She was asleep and tossing her head from side to side. Dean sat on the side of the bed and tried to wake her. "Chris. Chris. Christy! Wake up!" He shook her shoulder gently. Chris slowly came around and when she saw Dean she let out this heart wrenching sob and rolled to him. He closed his arms around her and held her tightly as she cried. "Shh. It'll be all right. It was just a dream." He was stroking her hair as she started to shake her head.

She looked up and wiped her tears. "It wasn't just a dream." She hiccupped as a sob caught in her throat. Dean cocked his head at her and waited for the explanation. "You know how we lost contact after I graduated high school?" She stifled a sob again as Dean nodded. "Well, we got married, Sean and me." She sniffled and hiccupped again. "He didn't like me talking to other men. I tried to call you and tell you, but your number had been changed, so that was easy. I still had Bobby's number if I needed you. Everything was fine for a while, but then he suddenly changed. He was angry all the time and started drinking. And then he came home drunk and accused me of cheating on him. I never did. He got really mad and started beating me. I mean like 'Lifetime movie of the week' beating me. I got away and called the police. A neighbor had also called because the yelling was so bad. They arrested him and took me to the hospital. I pressed charges and he was locked away. The worst part is that I was pregnant and the beating caused me to lose…" Chris tried to finish, but the tears came hard and fast again.

Dean just held her while she cried. He was awkward at this, but he did the best he could. This was not his territory. Sam was better at this. Chris's crying slowed, and she wiped her face again.

"The trial was a few months later. Because I was pregnant he was charged with second degree murder and domestic battery. Even though he said he was innocent, he was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole. I had already filed for divorce, and since he was in prison it was quick. That was four years ago. I still feel like it was yesterday that I lost the baby." Chris laid her head back on her pillow and looked up at Dean. "The funny thing is that if I had not known what he'd done, I'd have sworn that he was innocent. He was very convincing that he didn't do it." She looked at Dean with a weak smile. "Does that sound crazy?"

Dean shook his head and brushed her hair out of her face. "Not crazy at all." He didn't have the heart to tell her he'd seen families torn apart by creatures before that did that same routine just to get a meal or to play with a few humans' heads, especially demons.

He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Get some rest. Sammy and I are working on finding this guy, this spirit." She smiled and mouthed 'thank you' and closed her eyes again. This time her sleep was uninterrupted.

"_So where do you want to go for dinner tonight?" Robert asked as he helped Alison with her coat._

"_I can't tonight, Rob." She smiled sweetly at him. She knew he was interested, but she wasn't. She was madly in love with her husband, and she would not ruin that with a friendship that might be misconstrued. "Frank has dinner waiting on me and then we're watching a movie and eating popcorn together." She smiled again. "This play has taken me away from home more than we both like."_

_Robert looked at his co-star with a cool gaze. "We had lunch during rehearsals the other day. How is this different?" She could see the muscle in his jaw twitch._

"_That was because we were working and you are my friend. Lunch with a friend is different than an intimate dinner with a man that is not my husband." Robert took a step closer to Alison._

"_I don't see much difference." Again his gaze was cool and steely._

"_I'm sorry, Rob. I know you like me. I get that, but I love Frank. We can be friends, but nothing more, and until you can understand and respect that, then I'm going to have to distance myself from you." She was trying to be nice. She was trying to avoid a confrontation. She had to work closely with him. He was her love interest in the play. Robert stood there with his jaw twitching and anger and hurt starting to fill his eyes. Alison cleared her throat and backed away. "Good night, Rob. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and walked down the dark corridor to the side entrance of the theater._

_Something in Rob snapped. Anger surged through him and it was uncontrollable. He stormed down the hall. He was going to have Alison if it was the last thing he did._

_He slammed the side door open to see Alison a few feet away. "Alison!" Robert's voice boomed in the ally and Alison turned and fear filled her face. She had never seen a man look that angry. He was so angry she swore for a second that his eyes were totally black. "I have had enough of your teasing! We will be together! Now! Tonight!" He was screaming and his voice almost had an artificial, evil tone to it. Alison turned to run, but was not quick enough. Robert seemed to close the gap between them in a matter of seconds. He grabbed her arms and threw her against the wall._

_Alison tried to fight her way free, but Robert was too strong, stronger than she would have ever thought. She felt his body press in on her and began to panic. He lowered his mouth to hers in a crushing, violent kiss. She screamed against him and pounded her fists against her chest, but he acted as if he didn't feel her blows. His attack was becoming more aggressive. Alison could feel herself beginning to lose the strength to fight him off when his body was pulled off of hers._

"_Let go of her!" She opened her eyes to see Frank throwing Robert to the ground. He was on top of Robert and throwing punches that didn't seem to faze Robert. The men went rolling on the ground in the ally. Alison fumbled for her bag. She knew her gun was in there somewhere. She finally found it and silently thanked her father for teaching her to shoot and making her get her concealed weapons permit. She took aim, but it was hard to tell Robert from Frank in the dim light of the ally, and they kept changing positions. "How dare you touch my wife?" She could hear Frank yelling._

"_I didn't!" Robert was yelling. "Get off me!" Robert sounded panicked and almost back to normal. More punches were thrown. Robert knocked Frank off and tried to get to his feet. He was catching his breath and looked at Alison again. He smiled, but the smile was cold and menacing looking. Robert cocked his head at an odd angle and said the most menacing words she ever heard. "Say good-bye to your husband." There was no anger or heat to his voice. It was cold, cold and evil. It had that same tone it did a few minutes earlier. She looked at him and his eyes appeared to be black again. She shook her head and watched as he dove at Frank with a speed and a force that was not natural. The men went flying through the air. In her panic, Alison pulled the trigger. The bullet flew toward the men in what felt like slow motion. It hit one of the men and blood splattered. Frank yelled and hit the ground. Robert got up and looked at Alison, shock etched in both of their faces. "Alison, what the…" he let the question trail off._

_Tears filled her eyes and she stared at her husband lying motionless in the ally with blood forming a puddle around his body. She raised her gun again. "Don't!" She screamed. "You did this! You will pay!" She pointed the gun with a steady hand and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Robert squarely between the eyes, and he fell to the ground. She dropped the gun and ran to Frank. She gathered her husband in her arms and cried. She found her phone in her bag and dialed 911. She held her husband while she waited for the paramedics to come, but she knew it was too late. He was already turning cold._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Nothing, Dean," Sam said as he closed his laptop. It was almost eight o'clock and he had found nothing that was helping them find who the spirit that was haunting Chris was.

"Sam, we have to find him, burn and salt his remains." Dean walked to the kitchen counter and took a long drag on his beer.

"I know, Dean. I get it, but not much I can do if I can't find who he was." Sam sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm gonna go get something to eat, and I'll start searching again." Dean nodded and stretched. They had been searching for hours now.

Dean looked anxiously up the stairs and groaned. "This should be simple." Sam gave him the puppy dog eyes that normally got women to do what they needed to get the job done. "Don't look at me like that!" Dean sighed and then gave Sam a look that told him he was going to hate what was about to come out of his brother's mouth. "Sammy, I didn't know you were so into musicals. Could you be any more gay?" Dean asked and laughed as Sam glared.

"It's called being culture, Dean. Jess and I went to see Les Miséables when it came to Palo Alto. It's an amazing story that you would identify with." Sam looked up the stairs toward Chris's room. "Maybe more than you realize." Sam grabbed the keys to the Impala. "Usual?" Dean thought about it for a minute and nodded.

"Extra bacon."

Sam shook his head. "Then you'll tell me what went on with you and Chris?" Dean gave him a look that said 'no way in hell', but shrugged anyway.

"If you explain why I'd identify a play about men in frilly clothes." Dean smiled and took another drag from his beer.

Chris woke and stretched. She looked at her alarm clock and it was eight o'clock at night. She groaned and crawled out of bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon and made her way down stairs to find Dean sitting on the couch watching television.

"Anything good on?" She asked in a sleepy tone. Dean turned around and was shocked by what he saw. She was wearing boy shorts and a tank top. He remembered to close his mouth, but wasn't able to say anything, so he just shook his head. Chris smiled and sat beside him on the couch. "I'm glad you're here." Dean nodded and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Me too. I was wondering what had ever happened to you." He looked down at her and began remembering how he would have done anything for her in high school. That was a real awakening for him because no girl had had that power over him before. Sure, he'd do what he needed to so she would sleep with him, but this was different. After she had politely rejected his advances, he just wanted to make her like him and that meant doing whatever he could to make her happy. It had worked, and he was surprised by the friendship that had formed.

"You know most of it." Chris looked down at her hands and began to blush. "I'm sorry that I dumped all that on you earlier. The only people that know about that are Sean, our parents and me." Chris shrugged. "I just don't talk about my past too much anymore."

Dean lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Don't worry about it. I'm here to help you." His voice was soft. "Besides, I had to see why you screamed." He shrugged. "You know, the whole ghost thing," he gave her a wicked smile, "plus, it could have been a big bad spider."

Chris shuddered. "You remember that I'm deathly afraid of spiders, huh?"

Dean nodded. "How could I forget you screaming like you were being chased by a maniac all because a spider fell in your hair while we were walking home from a football game?" They both laughed.

"It wasn't funny!" Chris tried to stop laughing and be serious, but it wasn't possible. After a few minutes, they stopped laughing and looked at each other. "Thanks, Dean. I needed that." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled back and felt Dean staring at her.

Dean brought his hand up to her cheek and softly kissed her lips. Chris leaned in and slightly deepened the kiss. Dean took that as his cue and pulled her closer and slowly started to lay her back on the couch. He started running his hand down her arm when something picked him up and threw him against the wall by the door. Chris looked and saw the ghost standing over Dean. She screamed and jumped up.

"Chris, get some salt!" Dean yelled as he stood.

"Keep your hands off my wife!" The ghost said. Dean cocked his head.

"Is this Sean?" Dean asked just before he was thrown against the wall again.

Chris ran back into the living room. "What? No! Sean's still alive!"

"I was afraid you'd say that." Dean was trying to edge his way past the spirit standing in front of him.

Chris held up the container of salt. "What do I do with this?"

Dean was being lifted off the ground by the neck. "Throw it at him!" He choked out. Chris opened the container and threw salt at the ghost. He screamed and disappeared. Dean dropped to the ground gasping for air.

"You okay?" Dean nodded as he stood.

"You?" Chris shrugged and the nodded. He closed the gap between them and pulled her into a tight hug.

Sam walked into the room and quickly said, "Sorry, but I have burgers!" Dean pulled back from Chris.

"It's okay, Sam," Chris said. "I'll get dressed." She left the room and Sam watched Dean watch Chris.

"Did I miss something?" Sam was setting out the food on the kitchen table.

"Yeah. The ghost showed up and tried to kill me." Dean shrugged. "But, he might have given me a clue." Sam raised his eyebrows. "While he was throwing me around he told me to keep my hands off his wife."

Sam smirked, "You had your hands on Chris?"

"Kinda, but that's not the point. I think we've been doing the wrong search. We've been looking for someone tied to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. What if the key is his wife? What if she was the reason he died?"

Sam gave a thoughtful frown and grabbed his laptop. "Or the one that killed him? I came across a story about something like that, but ignored it since it didn't happen at the PAC." He hit a few keys. "Got it!"

"Go what?" Chris entered the room. She was wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts and another tank top. Her hair was pulled into a loose pony tail with tendrils falling around her face for the layers that were just a touch too short.

"Who we're dealing with," Sam said. He didn't look up from his laptop as he put a fry into his mouth.

Dean stepped closer to Chris and put his arm around her waist. "You are so cute." His compliment was softly spoken, but his voice had a gruffness to it that told her he was thinking more than he was saying. She smiled wryly at him and sat down at the table.

"One of these for me," she asked grabbing a burger. Sam nodded as she opened one. "This one must be for me. It has extra bacon." Dean jumped to the table and took it from her.

"You may be cute, sweetheart, but not that cute." He bit into the burger and she laughed.

"Still loving the bacon I see." She said as she opened the cheese burger in front of her.

"Damn straight," Dean said with a semi-full mouth. "Whatcha got, Sammy?"

Sam looked up. He hadn't been ignoring the exchange that had just played out in front of him. He just made a mental note to ask Dean about it later. "It looks like our guy's name was Frank Asher. Apparently about ten years ago his wife was in a play here in Tampa, a local production of Beauty and the Beast."

"I love that play," Chris said as she took a bite of her burger.

Sam only briefly moved his eyes to her before continuing. "Anyway, he showed up at the theater one night during rehearsals to find his wife being kissed by one of her co-stars, a Robert McNally. He pulled the man off his wife and they proceeded to fight. The wife, Alison Asher, pulled her gun and fired a shot. It hit Frank in the chest and killed him almost instantly. She then turned the gun on her co-star and shot him square between the eyes. No charges were filed because there were no witnesses and she admitted to everything. The event bothered her so much that she admitted herself to a local mental hospital."

"Does the article say which one?" Dean took another bite of his burger.

"Memorial Hospital," Sam said as he took a sip of his beer.

"That's not far from here," Chris answered. "Probably a fifteen minute drive." Sam and Dean nodded.

"I say we pay a visit tomorrow and see what Mrs. Asher can tell us then." Dean smiled at his brother. "First thing in the morning sound good to you, Agent Perry?"

"Sounds perfect, Agent Tyler." Chris gave them odd looks but didn't ask. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Sam and Dean adjusted their ties as they entered the psych ward at Memorial Hospital. They approached the desk where a friendly looking secretary was filing some paperwork. "Can I help you?"

"FBI, ma'am." Sam and Dean flashed their badges. "Agents Tyler and Perry." She looked at them as if she didn't really care. "We're here to see Alison Asher." That got the secretary's attention.

"The only person that visits her is her elderly mother. I'll get an orderly to show you to the activity room. She usually spends the day there." She got up and looked at them. "Watch my scissors. Don't let anyone get them." She was deadly serious, but Dean had to stifle a laugh. She walked down a short hallway and returned a minute later with a large man that looked like had been dropped on his head as a child.

"This guy looks like Igor," Dean muttered to Sam. Sam cleared his throat and smiled dryly at the orderly, just in case he heard Dean. He doubted he did, but still, Sam didn't want to be on the wrong end of those fists.

He opened the door and led them to a large open room with several people sitting at tables doing different calming activities, such as putting puzzles together, playing checkers, coloring, painting, watching television. He pointed to a woman sitting by the window staring blankly. Sam nodded his thanks as they approached Alison Asher. They stopped a few feet from her. Both men stopped dead in their tracks as they looked at her profile. She was a near mirror image to Chris Anderson.

"Mrs. Asher?" She looked up startled to hear someone speaking to her.

"Y-yes. Can I help you?" She fiddled with her hair and straightened her robe a little.

"Agents Tyler and Perry, FBI." The flashed their badges. "We have some questions about your husband's death."

Alison became very nervous at the mention of her late husband. "I'm not sure why you want to know about that, but o-okay." They pulled up chairs and sat across from her.

"There have been similar cases in the area and we are trying to make a connection is all." Alison didn't understand, but she nodded.

"What do you want to know?" She fidgeted a little more.

"We know this is hard," Sam began, "but can you tell us about that night? Anything that seemed odd to you?"

Alison rubbed her forehead. "Um…sure." She swallowed and looked around. "I was playing Belle in the local production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Frank was an excellent husband and was very supportive of my pursuing acting, even if not professionally. Robert was playing the Beast and the Prince in the play. We became close during the rehearsals, Robert and I. After a few weeks it became obvious that he was attracted to me. Things were getting strained between me and Frank because I was gone a lot, so I didn't tell him. I figured I'd take care of the issue on my own. It came to that point that night." She swallowed and looked out the window for a minute. Dean looked at Sam with a touch of impatience which Sam countered with his typical 'not now' look.

"I told Robert I wasn't interested in him. I could see him getting angry, hurt. I left. I was going to catch the bus home that night, so I needed to leave or I would be walking the three miles to our apartment." She shook her head as the images from that night flashed in her mind's eye. The image that stuck was the one where Robert's eyes seemed black. She knew it had to be the dimly lit ally. "He came bursting out of the theater and started yelling at me. He was completely enraged. He threw me against the wall and started kissing me. That was when Frank came. They began to fight. It was getting pretty bad, and then suddenly Robert seemed as though he was normal again, as if he was never angry. I had found my gun and had it pointed at Robert. He then said that I needed to say good-bye to my husband and attacked again. I fired a shot." Tears started to fill her eyes. "It, um, hit, um, Frank." A single tear fell. "I shot my husband!" A few more tears fell and she shook her head trying not to choke on the sobs. "I then turned and shot Robert while he tried to act shocked by what had just happened. He acted like he had no idea how it happened. My husband was dead because of him!" She sobbed quietly for a minute. The tears stopped as quickly as they had started and a small grin crossed her face. It wasn't a grin of happiness, but one that is typically associated with those that are mentally unstable.

Sam and Dean waited for her to continue. Both knew there was something she wasn't telling them. It was almost as if she didn't want to say it aloud. "Do you want to know why I admitted myself in here?" The half-crazy smile was still on her face. Sam nodded and Dean leaned in a little closer. "It's not because I shot my husband and my friend, but because of what I'm sure I saw that night. It's the only thing about that night that is still crystal clear in my mind's eye. Robert's eyes were black. Not black like they were bruised, but I mean his eyes went from being a bright blue to being entirely black. They did that twice. It was almost as if he was possessed. I know that sounds crazy. It has to be crazy. That's why I admitted myself."

Sam and Dean gave each other a look that said more between them than they would ever say aloud to Alison Asher. "Not as crazy as you might think, Mrs. Asher," Sam sounded as compassionate as ever.

"This is going to sound like a strange question, but where is Frank buried?" Dean asked, but Alison didn't seem to be fazed by it.

"Um, he's buried, um, in Rest Haven Memorial Park." She looked out the window. "When you find him, tell him I'm sorry." Sam nodded and they left the hospital.

"So, are you thinking what I'm thinking, Dean?" Sam shoved his hands into his pockets as they crossed the hospital parking lot.

"Yes, but this time you put the pants on the chimp," Dean laughed as Sam gave him a look. "It's from Pinky and the…." Dean trailed off.

"Really?" Sam frequently wondered about his brother.

Dean let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, I'm thinking what you're thinking. They say everyone has a twin. Maybe Alison Asher is Chris's twin." Dean opened the driver's door and stopped. "But, come on, Sam, the pants joke was funny!" Sam chuckled and got in the car.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between updates. I had major writers block. I knew how I wanted it to end, but didn't know how to connect the two points. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, please r&r!

Chris pulled her hair up in a clip and dropped her robe. She tested the water temperature of the shower and climbed in. It had been a rough couple of days and she knew a good scalding shower would help wash away some of it and maybe she wouldn't feel so numb when she got out. She pushed the play button on her iPod and turned the volume up on the speaker set. She stepped into the steaming cascade of water and listened to the swelling music. As the lyrics started, Chris joined in, enjoying the song and the feel of the hot water on her body.

"Is this home? Is this where I should learn to be happy? Never dreamed that a home could be dark and cold. I was told ev'ry day in my childhood, even when we grow old, home should be where the heart is. Never where words so true! My heart's far, far away. Home is too." Chris took a breath and lost her concentration on the song and the air around her turned cold. She could feel the heat of the shower as the water pounded against her body, but she was chilled and the hair on her arms was standing on end. "Oh, this can't be good." She turned around to see the ghost of Frank Asher standing in front of her.

Frank reached toward Chris. "Alison, why?"

Chris wasn't going to scream. It would do no good. No one was here to help her. She was alone. Oh, God, she was alone! She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm not Alison, Frank. I'm not your wife." Frank's spirit stepped closer as she tried to escape. One second Chris was backing up and the next her feet were going out from under her. She screamed as she lost her balance. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the faucet as everything went black.

Dean opened the door. "I'm just saying, Sam. Haven't you ever wondered why so many people fear midgets?" Sam shook his head and followed his brother into Chris's condo. "Chris, we're back!" There was no answer.

"Her car was outside," Sam pointed his thumb out of the door.

"Chris, sweetheart, we're home!" Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean calling Chris sweetheart. It wasn't said in his normal tone. This was almost endearing. "Chris?" Still there was no answer. The brothers exchanged a look. "Check the patio, and I'll head up stairs." Sam nodded and headed to the patio off the kitchen while Dean darted up the stairs. He was half way up the stairs when he heard the shower running. A wicked smile crossed his face and he headed into the master suite. "She's in the shower, Sam!" He called and hoped his brother heard him.

Dean entered the master bath to find there was no steam coming from the shower, but the water was still running. The closer he got to shower he noticed that he didn't see Chris's silhouette against the glass. He opened the frosted glass door to find Chris's unconscious body lying on the floor of the shower. He stepped into the water and felt for a pulse. Her pulse was strong. "Chris?" He touched her cheek. No response. Dean scooped Chris into his arms and started to carry her out of the bathroom. He laid her down on the bed and covered her naked body with her robe. "Sam! Get up here now!"

Sam entered the room to find Dean sitting on the edge of the bed dabbing at a cut on Chris' forehead. "What happened?"

"Don't know. I found her out cold in the shower. She's been this way for a while because the shower was cold." Dean looked a little closer at the cut. "It doesn't look too bad. I think she just hit the faucet the right way." Sam noticed the worry in Dean's voice. He watched as Dean smoothed the hair from Chris's face. "Chris? Baby, wake up. Come on. You can do it." No response. "Chris, wake up."

"Dean, we need to get her to the hospital." Sam touched Dean's shoulder. "Dean?"

Dean just kept checking Chris for any sign of her waking up. After a few minutes he dropped his head. "Yeah. You're right. Call the ambulance." Dean turned his attention back to Chris. "Chris, come on. Wake up, sweetheart." There was still no response. Dean felt his throat start to close. He was starting to understand what that song she sang in her play was all about. He'd loved her since they were kids and he'd never told her. Sure, she knew he was attracted to her, but she didn't know that he would die for her. Tears threatened to fill his eyes as Sam came back into the room. Dean looked up at him and wiped his red nose. "I get it now, man. I know why you said I could relate to that play." Sam nodded and helped Dean get Chris into her robe so she wasn't naked when the paramedics arrived.

"You'll get a chance to tell her when she wakes up." Dean looked at his brother, not hiding the tears in his eyes, and nodded.

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later and took Chris to Memorial Hospital. Dean and Sam followed. They planned on waiting at the hospital until it was late enough for them to go find Frank Asher's grave and dig it up.

The doctor came into the waiting room. "Are you are with Christy Anderson?" Dean looked up.

"Yeah. We're friends of hers. How is she?"

The doctor took in a deep breath. "She has a concussion and the cut required a couple of stitches, but she'll be okay. We're going to keep her overnight for observation." Dean nodded. "If you hadn't have found her when you did, she probably would have died. She is lucky to have you for a friend."

Dean shoved his hands in his pockets and took in a deep breath. The answer to his next question could change his whole day. "Is she awake?"

"Just woke up. You can see her if you like, but don't stay too long. She needs to rest."

"Thank you, Doctor." Sam said as he put his hand on Dean's shoulder. The boys headed toward her room. "I'll let you go in first." Dean nodded, swallowed and entered the room.

"Hey, sweetheart." Chris opened her eyes when she heard Dean's voice.

She smiled slightly. "Hey." He pulled a chair up and took her hand.

"How are you feeling?" Dean ran his thumb over her hand.

"I have a headache to beat the band, but I'm okay." She looked at Dean and saw the worried look on his face. "What's up, Dean?"

"You had me pretty scared, babe. I couldn't get you to wake up." He lowered his head. "I was worried I was going to lose you." The truth was a little close to the surface, so he quickly covered it up. "Besides, this wasn't how I wanted to see you naked for the first time." A wicked smile crossed his face.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "You want to see me naked?"

"Ever since we were sixteen." He laughed and kissed her forehead.

"So, what did you find out about Frank?"

"Was it Frank that caused this?" Chris nodded. "He appeared in the shower?" The answer was obvious, but Dean had to ask. Chris nodded again. Dean took a deep breath. "Frank Asher is our guy. We know where he's buried, so we're going to dig him up and burn his remains tonight. That should end it." Chris nodded.

A knock on the door showed that Sam was tired of waiting. "Come on in, Sammy." Sam entered and smiled at his friend. Chris smiled back. She hated that this was happening, but she was glad that her friends were here to help, especially Dean.

Sam and Dean climbed out of the Impala and grabbed their shovels, salt and the gas can. "Let's get this done before he hurts Chris again." Sam nodded and they started looking for Frank Asher's grave.

"Dean." Sam pointed to a head stone. Dean came over and dropped the duffle bag of supplies.

"Let's dig this bastard up." The both put their shovels in the ground when a flood light turned on behind them. Both turned to see a cop car. "Damn it," Dean mumbled under his breath.

"Tampa PD. Put your hands up." They dropped the shovels and raised their hands.

"FBI," Dean offered. He and Sam lowered one arm to grab the fake badges from their jacket pockets. The officer took their badges.

"You're not from the Tampa office, are you?"

"Nope. South Dakota." Sam said. "We have orders to dig up this grave for a case we're working."

"Can't the Tampa office do that?" The officer asked.

"Not when our supervisor told us to do it," Dean's tone was cocky. They'd run into enough Feds to know the attitude they had.

"Call our supervisor to check for yourself. His card is in our badge." The officer nodded and took a few steps away.

Bobby was sitting in his favorite easy chair trying to watch a show on HGTV when the FBI phone rang. He groaned and got up to get the phone. "Willis."

"I have two of your guys here saying you want them to dig up a grave in Tampa."

"That's right. They're two of my best."

"Tampa's office should be doing this," the officer was starting to challenge Bobby's authority.

"Are you questioning me, boy?" There was no answer. "Tampa has screwed up too much. My boys are the best. Let them do their jobs. In fact, since this is a time sensitive case, you're going to give them the cemetery's backhoe to get the grave dug so much faster than they would have otherwise. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." The officer hung up the phone. He walked back over to Sam and Dean. "You check out. I'll be back with a backhoe. Give me five minutes." Sam and Dean relaxed.

"A backhoe? Bobby must have done some work on that one." Sam nodded. The officer brought the backhoe over and left them to their work. They had the hole dug and the coffin open in a fraction of the time it would normally take. "You know it's never easy, so keep an eye out for Frank." Sam nodded and pulled out a shot gun. Dean poured salt on the remains and then the gasoline. He climbed out of the whole and pulled his liter out. "Ready, Sammy?"

"Yep." He cocked the gun and waited. Dean looked around one more time and dropped the liter in the coffin. The remains went up in flames and nothing happened, no spirit trying to stop them, no screaming, nothing. Sam looked around the cemetery and it looked as still as it did when they pulled up. "I don't get it."

"Me neither." Dean grabbed the duffle bag. "Maybe we got off easy and it was a simple salt and burn. Let's count the win and get back to Chris." Sam nodded and grabbed his shovel.

"Are we going to take the backhoe back?"

"Nope. We're FBI, not groundskeepers." They dumped their supplies in the trunk and got in the car.

Chris was asleep in her hospital room when it suddenly got cold. She pulled the blanket up tighter to her chin. It got colder and she woke up. "No! Not again!" She grabbed her controller and hit the call button. "Help!" She yelled just as Frank appeared.

He moved to her bed with flickering speed. He reached for her, and Chris fumbled for her food table. There were salt packets in there from her dinner. It wasn't much, but maybe it was enough. She found a packet and opened it up. She threw it at him, but it had no effect.

"Alison?" Frank reached for her.

Chris tried to get away, but she stopped. She had to face him. She had to reach him. For some reason he thought she was his wife. "Frank, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I was trying to hit him." Frank stopped reaching for her and stood still. He looked sad, lost and sad. "It was ten years ago, Frank. Let me go. I had to let you go that awful night. I'm sorry. I'll always love you, but you can't keep hanging on." Frank flickered a few more times and then he suddenly went up in flames. He screamed Alison's name one more time and then he was gone.

Chris let her head fall back against the pillow and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she somehow knew it was over.

"Ms. Anderson, is everything okay? You hit your call button, and I heard you yell for help," her nurse, Becky, asked.

"I'm fine now. Sorry. It was a bad dream. I must have hit the button in my sleep." Becky nodded and left the room. Chris closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't be able to until she talked to Dean.

Dean entered the hospital room quietly and found Chris sitting up. "What are you doing up?" Worry etched his face.

"Waiting for you." She smiled at him and held out her hand. Dean crossed the room and took her hand. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I had an eventful night and needed to see you." Dean smiled, but she could see the worry in his eyes. "Everything's fine. How was your night?"

Dean stretched. The hour was catching up to him. "Well, we found Frank's grave, and he will no longer be coming to visit you." Dean rubbed his face. "The odd thing was that he never tried to stop us. Most spirits don't like you messing with their remains, and they try to stop us from burning them. Not Frank. He just let us do it."

"That's because he was here." Chris's remark made Dean look up at her with his eyes wide.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Dean inched closer to the edge of his seat.

"I'm fine. He scared me because I was asleep, but then I thought about how he thinks I'm Alison for some reason, so I talked to him like I was his wife. I apologized for what happened and told him he needed to let me go and that I had let him go a long time ago. He flickered a few times and then he went up in a flash of flames." Chris shrugged. "My heart was pounding the whole time, but I wasn't scared. I knew you were trying to find him, so I knew I was safe." Dean was staring at her with a new look in his eyes.

"You are so smart, and that makes you so hot, in a librarian kind of way." Dean got a wicked smile on his face and kissed her. Chris laughed as they pulled apart.

"Dean, you look exhausted. Go back to my place and get some rest, just come back to pick me up tomorrow morning, okay?"

He started shaking her head. "Nope. Not going to happen. I'm here until they release you. I dropped Sam off at your place, and I'm staying." He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. It didn't take long before he was gently snoring. Chris leaned into her pillow and fell asleep as well.

Dean helped Chris up to her room once they were back to her condo. "Are you doing okay?" Chris smiled.

"I'm fine, Dean. I have a bump on my head. I'll be fine. You've had worse. Stop worrying." She sat down on the edge of her bed and looked up him nervously. "Did you mean what you said?" Dean gave her a puzzled look. "That you want to see me naked?" She blushed a little as she looked away.

Dean put a finger on her chin and turned her back to look at him. "Dead serious." He leaned in and kissed her slightly. They pulled apart and he swallowed. He'd sworn to himself that if she survived this he was going to tell her how he felt. "Chris," he cleared his throat, "I need to tell you something." She watched him stand up and pace across the room. "When I asked you out in high school, and you turned me down I was upset, but decided that I wasn't going to let that stop me from being near you." He exhaled. "Wow, this is hard." He cleared his throat. '_Telling Lisa how I felt wasn't this hard,' he thought._ "I was determined to make you like me. I kept being your friend hoping that you would want to date me. I was selfish, but in the end, I fell for you." He laughed, but it wasn't filled with humor. "I still love you." He swallowed hard again. "Always have. Always will." He exhaled and looked at her.

Tears filled Chris's eyes. No it wasn't romantic, but she knew his confession was genuine. "Oh, Dean." Her voice was strained. "I didn't turn you down because I didn't like you. I turned you down because I was seeing Sean, and I knew you were only going to be around for a short time. I wasn't going to throw away what Sean and I had for a fling with a guy that wasn't going to be around in a few weeks to a month." She looked down. "After the confession you just gave, I need to confess something too." She smiled timidly. This wasn't her normal behavior, but it made her even prettier. "I knew I was never really your type, but I was so happy that you liked me and wanted to be friends. I was never considered popular or pretty, but a handsome boy liked me, and I wasn't going to let you go. I was determined to make our friendship work. After you left, I was upset, which was dumb since we were never more than friends, but I loved you, and it hurt to see you leave. The funny thing was that I always had a fantasy that you would come back and take me away with you. Even on my wedding day, I hoped you would show up and stop the wedding. I loved Sean, but I always wanted to be with you." While she was looking at her hands Dean had come to stand in front of her. He lifted her face and kissed her. It was a kiss that erased the missed times and pain they had both suffered. He lowered her back on the bed, and the next coherent thought she had was when she woke up a few hours later to find the bed empty and a note that said "Went to get food." She laid her head back down and closed her eyes.

"What am I doing," she asked herself. She played back the last few hours and smiled. She loved Dean, had actually admitted that she loved him. And he loved her too. She smiled warmly as the memories came back to her, but in the same moment the smile faded. She knew it would not work. Chris got up and dressed. Dean came back a few minutes later with Chinese for everyone.

Dean smiled at her, but made no move to kiss her. Chris wondered what that was all about. Had he gotten what he wanted and now he was done? Anger began to crawl in and take hold. She didn't let it show, but the more time passed without him saying anything the more she seethed and was quickly reaching her boiling point. As Sam started to clear the table, Chris snapped.

"Dean Winchester!" He turned to look at her. "How dare you?" Dean looked from Chris to Sam in a puzzled way. "So, you pour your heart out and sleep with me and now you're done? Is that it? I was a sixteen-years-in-the-making one night stand?" Sam's jaw dropped, and he looked from Chris to Dean.

Dean's anger instantly flared. "What? No!" He signed and crossed his arms. "I was trying to keep this between us for now. I wasn't ready to say anything to Sam."

"Dude, I already knew!" Sam said as he put the plates in the sink. "I'm gonna go for a walk while you work this out." Chris nodded, and Sam left the condo.

"What? Are you are ashamed of me?" Chris was hearing the words coming out of her mouth and was wondering where they were coming from. It wasn't like her to get emotional and irrational. What was going on with her? Maybe it was all the stress of the last few days.

"Never, sweetheart." Dean crossed the kitchen and pulled her into a hug. "I just wanted this to be between us for a while because it was special." Chris was even more confused. She started crying. She hated not being in control of herself. "Hey, you okay?" She nodded and shook her head at the same time. "You need to rest. Go take a shower and a nap. We'll talk when you get up." He wiped a tear from her face. She nodded, and Dean kissed her lightly.

Sam came back in to see Dean sitting at his laptop. "Everything okay?" Dean looked up.

"Yeah. I found us another job, a day's drive from here in Tennessee." He turned the laptop to show Sam. "I figure we can leave in the morning and get back at it after we've recharged today."

Sam frowned. "I mean about you and Chris." Dean ignored the comment. Sam was quickly getting annoyed. "Dean! You can't make her a one night stand. You care too much for her."

Dean closed the laptop. "Exactly. I can't do this, Sammy. What if she gets hurt? I can't have that on my head. I'm going to talk to her tonight. I know Chris. She'll be fine. This isn't good-bye. It's just not a good time."

Sam let out a humorless chuckle. "It's never a good time with us." Sam nodded. "I'll start packing so we can leave at dawn tomorrow." Chris and Sam passed in the hall. She pulled her robe closer to her and smiled sadly. Sam wondered how much she already knew, or if she had heard what they had been talking about. Chris entered the living room to see Dean packing up the laptop.

"Dean, can we talk?" He saw her and smiled. He nodded and walked over to her. "Let's sit down." He did. He could tell something was bothering her. "First off, I want to apologize for my outburst earlier. I shouldn't have lost my temper." Dean smiled faintly. "I know why I did it, and I know you were not doing what I accused you of." She took Dean's hands. "Dean, I love you. I always have and always will, but I can't do this. I can't do us. Not seriously anyway. I'm not a hunter, and you are not ready to settle down. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."

Dean let out a laugh that was filled with shock and irony. "You are an amazing woman, Christy Anderson." He pulled her close and kissed her. His reaction surprised her. "You're ending this, and I was going to do the same, but not for the same reasons. I know you are not a hunter, and I wouldn't ask you to be. I'm doing this because everyone that Sam and I care about get hurt or worse. I couldn't live with that if it happened to you. I do love you, but because I love you, I can't be with you. Does that make sense?" Chris nodded. "We're leaving in the morning for another job."

Chris couldn't help it, tears filled her eyes and slowly fell. "At least we have tonight." Dean nodded and smiled. "You are always welcome wherever I am." She smiled wryly. "I don't mind being a one night stand when you pass through or our paths cross." Dean laughed. This was one reason he loved her. She was honest and knew what baggage came with him. He nodded and hugged her one more time.

"So, we're okay?" She nodded and he smiled.

"You have my new number. Call if you need anything." Chris nodded. She turned and quickly hugged Sam bye. He climbed into the Impala and waited for Dean to say his good-byes.

"Thank you, Dean, for everything." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "You came when I called. You saved me. You stood by your promise from so long ago. I will always be grateful." Dean nodded and gave her one final quick kiss.

"I'll call." Chris nodded as he climbed into the Impala. She waved good-bye and walked back to her condo.

Dean watched her go and a memory came back to him.

_Dean looked up as a girl approached him in the office. 'Dean Winchester?'_

'_That's me, sweetheart.' He stood and gave his typical smart-ass smile._

'_I'm Christy Anderson. You can call me Chris. I'm your tour guide for the school today.' Dean cocked an eyebrow. 'It's a program that the school has in place. I show you around the school today and then you start classes tomorrow.'_

_Dean shrugged. 'Doesn't really matter. I won't be here for more than a few weeks, but okay.' Chris tilted her head at his odd comment. 'Let's get started.'_

_Chris led him out of the office. 'Winchester, huh?' Dean nodded. 'Any relation to the gun manufacturing family?'_

'_Nope, but I have a few.' The comment was flippant._

'_Hmmm. I'd love to see the Winchester mansion in California one day. They say the place is haunted by all the ghosts of the people killed by the Winchester rifles and they told Mrs. Winchester how to build the house. If she didn't do as they told her, they would kill her.'_

_Dean laughed at this. 'Not true.' Chris looked at him funny. 'My dad, brother and I checked it out over the summer. Not a ghost on the place. We found that Old Lady Winchester was crazy as four Hells. She was hearing voices that she claimed were Indians. Turns out she was schitzo.' Dean shrugged. 'A wasted trip, but a cool house. Just don't go if all you are looking for are ghosts.' Chris looked at him funny and then dismissed their conversation._

'_This is where your English class will be held.' Dean nodded and watched as she acted like what he had just said was as normal as saying the grass was green. He instantly wanted to get closer to her. He shook off the thought and continued the tour._

"Dean, you going to start the car soon?" Dean snapped out of his thoughts and the memory faded.

"Yeah." He cranked the car and listened to the motor rumble. "We've got work to do." He pulled out of the parking lot and pointed the car north.


End file.
